ANALOGIES OF THE CIRRHIPEDES. 33 



truded their fringed arms about half way ; and finding 

 that no injury resulted, they projected the other half. 

 In this position they were really beautiful, for the cirrhi 

 formed the rays of an oblong flower-shaped cup, each 

 filament being slightly curved inwards at the tip. We 

 observed some little moving particles in the tub of sea 

 water; and " ever and anon" our captive barnacles would 

 instantaneously draw themselves into their shelly co- 

 vering, as if they had captured their minute prey, and 

 had retired to eat it. Now, this is precisely the mode 

 of life pursued by all those sessile polypes, called animal 

 flowers [Actini7ice) ; nor can there be the least doubt 

 that the feet of the Cirrhipedes are, in fact, used as their 

 arms, wherewith to seize all those small marine animals 

 which come within their reach. 



(30.) The analogies of the Cirrhipedes are remark- 

 ably interesting. We have already shown that they 

 represent the apodal reptiles. But it is truly wonderful 

 how Nature, in this group of Annulosa, has contrived 

 to represent the fissirostral type among birds, of which 

 the flycatchers are well known examples. These birds, 

 in fact, are the most sedentary of their class ; that is, 

 they make little or no use of their feet, but as mere 

 supports to their body, for they neither climb, run, nor 

 even walk. It is the peculiar property, also, of these 

 birds, to sit for hours upon the same twig, almost im- 

 moveable, watching for such passing insects as come 

 within the reach of a sudden dart : while thus sta- 

 tioned, they are, in fact, as sedentary as the Cirrhipedes, 

 and for the time may be said to be fixed to the station 

 they have selected. The proof of an analogy being 

 natural, is by comparing the two circles of which the 

 particular groups under consideration form a part ; thus, 

 if we look to the order Insessores, or perching birds, 

 and to the circle of the Annulosa, we find they re- 

 present each other in the following manner: — 



